Naperville Business Lawyer Discusses McDonald’s Being Sued Over Unwanted Cheese

Business owners have to be ready for anything. Sometimes, lawsuits spring up for the most unexpected reason. For example, McDonald’s was probably not expecting to need to defend itself against allegations of “unwanted and undelivered cheese,” but that is the current situation. In this somewhat bizarre lawsuit, McDonald’s customers have accused the restaurant of overcharging by making them pay for nonexistent cheese.

When the “Quarter Pounder” sandwich was originally introduced in the 1970s, it did not come with cheese. Eventually, the menu changed, and customers were able to choose between a “Quarter Pounder” and a “Quarter Pounder with cheese.” The sandwich without cheese was naturally slightly cheaper than the sandwich with cheese. However, more recently, customers claim they have been forced to pay the higher price even if they did not want cheese on their sandwich. The difference in price is only 30-90 cents per sandwich, but some customers are very upset by this apparent overcharging. Two of them filed a lawsuit in federal court in Florida this month and are seeking class-action status for the suit.

Another Frivolous Lawsuit?

It can be easy to dismiss cases such as these immediately. However, there are several valid points in the lawsuit. The term “Quarter Pounder” is trademarked, and even more interestingly, the original list of the trademarked ingredients specifically does not include cheese. Increasing the price while adding an ingredient changes the product. The petitioners of the lawsuit feel that this is “deceptive and misleading.” Furthermore, customers allege that users of the McDonald’s mobile app or third-party delivery services are given the option to purchase the Quarter Pounder sandwich without cheese at the lower price. The fact that some people are given a chance to pay a lower price than others has only added to customers’ frustration.

In an email, McDonald’s has stated, “We do not believe the claims in this lawsuit have legal merit.”

McDonald’s May Lose Customers Over Lack of Transparency

Even if the fast-food giant does not end up being successfully sued, this allegation will probably not be great for their business. McDonald’s is a $106.4-billion-dollar corporation. For a company as wildly successful as this to be “nickel-and-diming” customers in this way could make the company appear greedy and untrustworthy.

This situation is a perfect example of the way a lawsuit can change the way your company is regarded by customers and potential customers. While a mega-corporation like McDonald’s is not likely to suffer permanent damage, a smaller company could suffer serious consequences. When a new or struggling business is hit with a lawsuit, the damage to its brand can be detrimental to the success of the business.

We Can Help You Avoid Lawsuits

If you own a business, there a number of steps you can take to protect yourself against potential lawsuits. For thorough and dependable legal advice from an experienced Naperville business law attorney, contact The Gierach Law Firm today. Call us at (630) 756-1160.